Buckle



Patented Nov. 27, i923.

UNITED STATES GEORGE E. PRENTICE, OF BERLIN, CONNECTICUT.

BUCKLE.

Application filed February 20, 1.923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE E. PRENTICE, citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Berlin, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to buckles and particularly to belt buckles of the pivoted leverl type. ln the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated;

Fig. 1 is a rear view of a buckle to enlarged scale;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2-2 Vof Fig. l omittingthe movable partsV of the buckle;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the buckle shown in Fig. l, the parts being in operative position for holding a belt;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section, partly in eleva` tion, upon the line 4 4; of Fig. 1, showing the parts of the buckle kpositioned for the reception of the end of a` belt;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to F ig. 4: showing the parts positioned for clamping the belt;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a slide member forming an element of the buckle;

Fig. 7 is a section to larger scale taken substantially in the plane of the line -fl of Fig. 1 and showing the clamping lever alone;

Fig. S is a side elevation partly in crosssection illustrating a modified form of buckle and showing the end of the belt clamped therein;

Fig. 9 is a cross-section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8 showing details of the slide member of the buckle;

Fig. 10 is a cross-section on the line 10-10 of F ig. 9;

Fig. 1l is a plan view of a modified form of clamping lever employed in the buckle shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. l2 is an end elevation of the clamping lever shown in Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is a cross-section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 11.

Referring to Figs. l to 6 inclusive the numeral 1 indicates the front plate of the buckle provided with `top and bottom flanges 2, 3 respectively. This plate is also provided 4with belt guiding ears 4, 5 bent to lie substantially parallel to the plane of the Serial No. 620,227.

front plate. The flanges 2, 3 are provided with bearing openings 6, 7 respectively for the ends 8, 9 of the axial portion of a clamping lever comprising the clamping arm 10 and the belt securing arm 11. The clamping arm is preferably provided with a smoothly rounded extremity l2 produced by folding its end portion 13 rearwardly. The belt securing arm 11 is furnished with the usual auxiliarylever 16' for clamping one end 17 of the belt to the arm 11 of the main clamping lever and which is not ordinarily disturbed during the life of the belt.

A member 18 is arranged to slide along the rear face of plate 1 between the flanges 2, 3. Thisl slide member, which is preferably made of sheet material, is provided with two upstanding substantially wedgeshape members 19, 20 comprising inclined substantially straight surfaces 2l, 22 which slope in the Same direction and the abrupt shoulders 21, 22a. The wedge members are spaced apart and the slide member is so disposed that the space between the wedge meiubers lies substantially opposite'to the axial portion of the clamping lever. movement of the slide member longitudinally of the front plate, the flanges 2 and 3 are struck inwardly at suitable points to provide the stop lugs 24, which project inwardly between the wedge members of the slide.

In securing the free end of the belt it is passed between the ears 4, 5 and the rear surface of the front plate and then successively engages the inclined surfaces 21 and 22 of the wedge members so that there is no tendency for the end to catch or double up as it is pushed between the clamping elements of the buckle. The clamping lever is now moved to the position shown in Fig. 5 and in so moving, the arm 10 presses the belt against the substantially straight wedge surface 22 which engages the belt over a considerable area of its Surface. The frictional contact of the arm 10 with the belt as the arm swings to final position as shown in Fig 5, together with the pull of the belt acting against the abrupt shoulder 21-a tends to move the slide member tothe left (Fig. 5) so that the wedge surface 22 follows up the end 12 of the arm 10 and maintains a constant pressure between such surface and the end of the lever. Any additional tension placed upon the belt serves to draw the To limit Wedge element more firmly against the belt, thus pinching it tightly and preventing its slipping or Withdrawal. This action is to a large extent independent of the thickness of the belt so that even though a relatively thin belt be employed, there is little danger that it Will slip or slide between the clamping elements.

In Figs. 8 tol 13, the front plate 30 has the outstanding flanges 3l, 32 respectively. These flanges are furnished With journal openings for the reception of the ends 33, 34 of the axial portion 35 of a clamping lever of somewhat modified form. This clamping lever comprises the belt engaging arm 36 (Fig. 13) formed by bending the material to provide a rounded contact surface, and the arm 37 provided with the usual auxiliary clamping lever 40, The axial portion of the main clamping lever is also provided With eccentric shoulders 42, ad jacent to its respective ends and these shoulders are positioned Within openings 44, 45 respectively formed in ears 46, 47 constituting integral parts of a slide member 4&8. These openings are preferably'elongate vso as to provide for lost motion. The slide member 48 is provided with Wedge elements 49, 50 and corresponding abrupt shoulders of the same character as those described with respect to the previous modification.

In the operation or' this form of the device the end 5l of the belt is passed between the: clamping arm 36 of the lever and the `Wedge element-s of the slide, the lever at this time being swung to occupy a position similar to that shown in Fig. 4.. During the final portion oi' the swinging movement the lugs 42, 43 engage the inner Walls of the openings 45, 46 and cause the slide member to move to the right as vievved in F Si. After the insertion of the end of the belt, the lever member is moved downwardly to the position of Fig. 8 and as the arm 36 comes into engagement with the belt the lugs 42, 43 cause the slide member te move `to the left, thus securely and firmly clamping the belt between the Wedge element 49 and the arm 36. The dimensions of the lugs 42, 43 relatively to the openings 44, 45 are such that any additional strain placed upon the belt may further move the slide member suiiic-iently to pinch the belt even more firmly against the clamping arm in the saine Way as in the previous modification. il/hen in this instance it is Idesired to release the end of the belt, the clamping lever is swung in the opposite direction and as it swings it positively moves the slide member so that the pinching of the belt is relieved and the belt is freed from engagement with the clamping elements.

I claim:

l. A buckle having a sliding member provided with a Wedge-like projection compri@ ing an abru at shoulder and an inclined surface engageable by the free end portion of the belt, and a clamping lever having a belt engaging arm, the inclined surface of the slide member being constructed and arranged to press the belt firmly into contact with the clamping arm of the lever.

2. A belt buckle comprising a front plate, a slide mounted for limited movement upon the rear side of the front plate, a projection upon the slide having an inclined, substantially st night, belt engaging face, and a clamping lever having a belt engaging arm arranged to press the belt into Contact with the inclined face or' the projection.

3. A buckle comprising a slide member provided with a pair of spaced projections having similarly disposed substantially straight inclined -Wedge surfaces for en` gagement With the belt, and a clamping lever having a belt engaging arm normally* positioned between said projections.

4. A buckle comprising a front plate a clamping lever journalled in bearings fixed relatively to the front plate having a belt engaging arm, a slide member opposed to the arm and movable longitudinally or' the belt, and means independent of the front plate for transmitting.movement from the lever to the slide member.

5. A buckle comprising a clamping lever having a belt engaging arm., a slide member provided With an element against which the belt is pressed by the arm. said member havn ing an outstanding ear provided with an opening, and a member carried by helever and disposed Within the opening' for transmitting movement from the lever to the slide as the lever moves to and from operative position.

6. A buckle comprising a slide member having opposed outstanding` ears each provided With an elongate opening, a pivotcd lever having a clamping arm and an eccentric member at each end oi2 its axial portion disposed within the respective openings and engagea-ble with the inner walls oi the latter to transmit movement from the lever to the slide member, und a .vedge element carried by the slide member operative to press the belt into engagement with the clamping arm.

Signed by me at Berlin, Conn., this seventeenth day of February, 1923.

GEGRGE E. PBENTICE. 

